Keeping your kids home Tuesday?

[Sheherezade]

I heard both Reagan (twice! once in school and once in person at Epcot) and Bush tell me to stay in school, don't do drugs and all that. I'm STILL not a Republican. I agree with JaneDoe and Ameins.

We need to tamp down the hysteria a bit. I can't trace this all the way back to Atwater, but I know that the paranoia was present since the Clinton years. I think a big part of the vote for "change" was a vote to stop this nonsense. Too bad that hasn't happened. I equate a lot of the hand wringing that we see now on the news with the people that said they were leaving the country under Bush. Of course, I worry more now because the "hand wringers" are armed at protests and don't seem to be threatening to leave because they don't like our leader.

I told my son today that there are legitimate Republican proposals and reasonable Republican leaders and voters -- and he seemed amazed. I had to sit down and talk with him about the differences in ideology. He isn't getting any of that at school, in the news or from friends/neighbors. He's just seeing the hate. It's awful.

[diggitydot]

We need to tamp down the hysteria a bit.

So much word.

Just about every president for the last 20-30 years has addressed school-aged kids at some point or another. I didn't see a big ideal then and I don't see a big deal now.

Look-

the bottom line is this- kids who grow up in conservative households with conservative parents will likely end up conservative adults. my kid is likely to grow up liberal. So, whatever president speaks to whichever school, it really isn't going to change the fundamental reality that for most families, mom and/or dad really do have the biggest impact.

Even if they're completely apolitical- chances are that's the way the kids will end up as well.

The notable exceptions being my husband and Tara's husband who were switched at birth.

Texas is full of big fat weenies who would be slobbering all over themselves if it were GWB but it's not, it's that black man who is too big for his britches so I can assure you, that unless you are going out of your way to find the speech on Tuesday, no one in the SAISD will be seeing it.

It's the nefarious liberal agenda- educate everyone and stop the 50% drop out rate of the SAISD. (NO JOKE- 50%.)

Jenn

I completely agree with you on the first part. Though I don't have kids of my own, I have a 12-year old sister who talks with my parents, her friends and her parents' friends about politics, and (un)surprisingly they're all like-minded! However I don't think this is a race issue, and bet even President Obama wouldn't stoop so low to accuse people who are against the viewing of such. When George Bush Sr addressed the children back in '91 there were liberals protesting it. Do you think the conservatives were saying "that's only because he's white"? No. I think people who defend President Obama using the race card are doing him an injustice, and I hope they are not passing that message down to their kids.

[quote=GrayMatterWife;442496]

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Texas is full of big fat weenies who would be slobbering all over themselves if it were GWB but it's not, it's that black man who is too big for his britches so I can assure you, that unless you are going out of your way to find the speech on Tuesday, no one in the SAISD will be seeing it. /QUOTE]

That's sad that this is the belief.

Why does it always come down to accusing conservatives of being racists? As if it's this understood reality that we object to the situation simply because he's black? As if we all go to private, no-blacks cocktail parties where we talk about how we REALLY feel about black people--those feelings that one doesn't say in a civilized society. Give me a break. It's a horrible, unfounded, yet widely accepted prejudice--that conservatives hate minorities (whether openly or latently).

Now, I am sure that there are weirdos (on both sides of the aisle) who don't like Obama because he's black. Just like there were liberals who didn't like Bush because he was Texan and was...**gasp** one of those stupid, backward, hick born-agains. But, I'd venture to say that most people who don't like Obama's policies don't like them because they'd don't agree with them...not because they think Obama is a black guy who got "too big for his britches". Just like most people (who aren't Maureen Dowd, anyway) who disliked Bush felt that way because they thought the war was wrong, or that he misled the country, or lacked compassion or whatever.

My great hope with the Obama Presidency is that, by the end of it, we will have advanced as a country to the point where it is OK for a white voter to dislike Obama without being presumed to be a racist. That we will all be over the notion of white guilt and (even more so) the practice of white condescension.

Exactly. Two thumbs up to you.

[DCJenn]

I think you all have more faith in general society than I do.

Jenn

[v-girl]

I think you all have more faith in general society than I do.

Jenn

It would be sad if everyone had that little faith.

I think you all have more faith in general society than I do.

Jenn

General society or conservatives?

I think you all have more faith in general society than I do.

Jenn

PS I hope I don't sound confrontational...I never get into debates with people about politics, so I don't know if I'll know when I cross a line. I really like discussing these things with all of you!

[Michele]

I'm kinda with DCJenn on thinking that there is more of a race issue than not. I also think it goes both ways...people choosing to support and defend Obama just because he is black....and the people who distrust him because he is black. Maybe it's just the folks I come across every day...but I'm losing faith in the general population.

[Laker]

not sure if any of you heard this...but here is a clip from howard stern (it is safe, no bad language) where they interviewed people in Harlem, and asked them if they agreed with Obama because of this or that position, when they were all McCain positions...and you can clearly see why these folks were voting for Obama...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nyvqh...eature=related

[peggyfromwastate]

Peggy, you're saying you think it's more worthwhile for your kids to swing for 10 minutes than listen to a high-achieving person reinforce what I am sure is your own goal for your kids, which is to do their best to gain a good education? I'm sort of gob-smacked by that.

I think an objective discussion of politics - the election cycle, etc. is important - understanding civics is absolutely a part of education IMO. But then what do I know? I just live here.

And this is why I hardly ever venture to this forum...

What I mean is my elementary kids were absolutely saturated with Obama this and Obama that during the election cylcle and inauguration (we actually got the day off for inauguration- they took a *snow day* because *so many kids* would be down at the festivities, even thought the organizers asked everyone to NOT bring kids there). There wasn't much interest during the Kerry/Bush election, especially after the election happened. This alone makes it hard for me to buy the civics argument.

As far as my middle schooler, I doubt that she or her peers paid any attention to the speech, actually. It was played in the social studies classes, but I don't think the teachers will have any luck getting the kids to go along with any post-speech discussion. Politics is just not on the radar so much... And they all got sick of it during the election, too, sitting through teachers pro-Obama speeches.

I stand by what I said. Yes, I do think getting some exercise would be better, especially for Luke who only gets 30 min of recess a day anyway, and since he's barely 5 I don't think he'll benefit as much from hearing any speech as he would from some good old fashioned playground time.

Also, swings have been banned from most school playgrounds around here. So sadly, they won't get to swing at all, speech or no speech.

[peggyfromwastate]

I may be reading you wrong, but are you saying that we did not have letters to the president when GWB was reelected? Because last year while I was student teaching my whole grade wrote letters to Bush right as the election process was going on. As they were learning the writing process (and let me tell you, indentation is VERY hard for them to grasp!) they wrote letters to Bush, to MLK and other real, alive, deceased and non real people. Bush (or whoever is in charge of letters from schools) sent back a letter with a signed picture of him throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game.

It was rather interesting watching the election process take place inside a school. As a teacher you have to be very careful to have your opinions and keep them to yourself. If we want the kids to think for themselves we have to give them the tools to think for themselves. It was very obvious what each second grade parent thought becuase the kids spouted their parents views. I do not know how it works in the middle or highschools. But I would hope we could teach each child to look at the issues and decide where they stand. Teach them to research, evaluate and make desicions for themselves so when they become voters they vote for what they believe in, not what their teacher, parent, or even president believes in.

There were no letters to the president when GWB was in. The only thing my then elem schooler heard about him was related to illegal wiretapping (when she came home from school freaked out because she thought GWB was listening in on her conversations to her classmates over the phone) and to the failed war in Iraq.

I just don't think it warrants this much classtime.

And my middle schooler already had the assignment of *what can you do to help the president meet his goals* in her PE class of all places last year.

[v-girl]

I'm kinda with DCJenn on thinking that there is more of a race issue than not. I also think it goes both ways...people choosing to support and defend Obama just because he is black....and the people who distrust him because he is black. Maybe it's just the folks I come across every day...but I'm losing faith in the general population.

Wow. Maybe I'm naive or my conservative friends and I are colorblind, but he could be pink and purple polka-dotted and we still would not agree with his policies. But then, I'm Hispanic and don't agree with the new judge lady either (can't remember how to spell her name, not being disrespectful).

[PrincessFiona]

I think that this was much ado about nothing...and I don't think it was racially motivated. What many of the more liberal thinkers forget is that there were cartoons posted of GWB comparing him to a monkey or making him look like a monkey...no one screamed racism about that. My dad is a rabid republican who would have been even more hysterical if Hillary Clinton had given the speech. The man disowned me for an entire year when he found out I was voting for John Kerry years ago.

This same man called me and told me to keep my kids home from school today (as if) and was hysterical about the fact that as a "socialist" Obama was going to do what Hitler did...and have children reporting their parents to the government, etc. Obama could have been white or purple...it wouldn't have mattered. The fact that he is black has nothing to do with it and I think it's silly that we keep bringing it up as if it were an explanation.

The rabid supporters on the right and left are this viscious with every political opponent that they oppose. This time, it happens to be an african american man...but...think back...they weren't much kinder to Bill Clinton

Where was the outcry when GWB was reading books to school children, etc? When I pointed out to my dad that Reagan and Bush had both given speeches to school children he said that it was all the democrats fault for twisting the truth to make it sound like Obama was the first president to do so. I told him it wasn't the democrats fault that he didn't do his homework on this topic.

I can't wait to hear if my children heard the speech and what they thought about it.


Kris

[L.Jane]

There were no letters to the president when GWB was in. The only thing my then elem schooler heard about him was related to illegal wiretapping (when she came home from school freaked out because she thought GWB was listening in on her conversations to her classmates over the phone) and to the failed war in Iraq.

I just don't think it warrants this much classtime.

And my middle schooler already had the assignment of *what can you do to help the president meet his goals* in her PE class of all places last year.

I agree that students should not be writing letters to the president in PE class. PE is for health and wellness and thus the writing a letter does not belong in PE. I believe if one is writing a letter to the president it better fit the goals and content of the class. For example, if it was a social studies class and the students were asked to write a letter to the president about their opinion on civic duty or what they want to see the president do then it would make sense. A literature class studying persuasive writing then writing a letter to the president persuading him to make a change in an area that student believes in makes sense. These letters could be written to any president at any time. My second graders (and every second grader in the entire public school was on the same exact lesson plan) wrote to Bush to practice their letter writing and they were free to write whatever they wanted to him. I am sorry the school your students go to do not treat each president equally.